Free Slurpees helped 7-Eleven celebrate its corporate birthday and gave thousands of people brain freeze Wednesday.

“I haven’t had one of these in 25 years,” said Jeane Beno as she walked her dog along the 16th Street Mall. “They taste just like I remember.”

The 7-Eleven near 16th and Champa streets was packed all day with people taking advantage of the give-away. Most customers left with two free small Slurpees, clerk Norm Swanson said. At least one flavor in his store was drained by 2:45 p.m.

“Well, we did say free, so we knew it was going to be like this,” he said.

Even if people were unaware of the promotion before they poured out of downtown office buildings into to the midday heat, the number of empty cups littering the mall and the volume of spilled Slurpee staining the sidewalks hinted that something was up.

Getting the drink was as simple as walking in the store, visiting the machine and then walking out again.

“I think I had one last year,” said Kristin Keller, who was walking near 16th and Cleveland Place. “I used to drink them all the time in college.”

Kylie Rogerio, her two daughters and nieces, didn’t know about the promotion until they saw throngs walking the mall with Slurpees in hand.